Desolation Wilderness

With numerous alpine lakes, scenic waterfalls and towering granite peaks, Desolation Wilderness is a perfect location for a summer trip.

Whether you want an arduous climb or a relaxing walk, you'll find what you're looking for here. While summertime draws the most visitors, during the winter, the area becomes a popular playground for experienced backcountry skiers and snowshoers.

Thanks to its breathtaking granite landscape and surrounding scenery, as well as relative accessibility, Desolation Wilderness is one of the most popular wilderness areas in the National Wilderness Preservation System.

Long recognized for its mountain splendor, Desolation Valley Primitive Area was established in 1931 and granted wilderness status in 1969. It is located west of Lake Tahoe and north of Highway 50 in El Dorado County, California. It straddles the crest of the Sierra Nevada range, encompassing 63,690 acres, and has elevations ranging from 6,500 feet to nearly 10,000 feet.

Lake Aloha is a feature of the wilderness area, with shallow, clear waters sitting in a wide, granite basin carved by glaciers in the most recent ice age. The Crystal Range is also within the area, with Pyramid Peak as the highest point both in the range and the wilderness, topping out at 9,987 feet. Horsetail Falls, which tumbles in stages for nearly 500 feet, is just one of the area's many waterfalls.

Almost every public campground in California is dog-friendly, but that doesn’t mean your dog is welcome to hike with you, even on a leash. At most state and national parks, dogs are confined to paved paths, fire roads and picnic areas. If those rules don’t fit your free-roaming style, take heart: There are plenty of other places to camp and hike with your best four-legged friend. Here are two campground-rich areas in Northern California that get the DogTrekker paw of approval. more »

OK, you’ve just missed “fee-free” day at our nation’s 400-plus national park units (next one is Sept 22). But that doesn’t mean you’ve missed peak season for waterfalls roaring all over California as the snowmelt season gets underway. We can’t gush enough about the dog-friendly waterfall hikes and photo opportunities waiting for you and yours on federal lands. Here’s a trio of suggestions. more »

Most hiking trails around Lake Tahoe—and there are hundreds—can be enjoyed in the company of your best friend. For a short hike with liquid rewards, pack a picnic and take an easy, 3.5-mile round-trip stroll to gorgeous Fallen Leaf Lake, second-largest body of water in the Tahoe Basin and easily accessible from a parking lot just off Highway 89. Also easy-going is the mile-in, mile-out Cascade Falls trail, accessed from a trailhead at Inspiration Point near Emerald Bay. more »

Eighteen national forests encompassing 20 million acres of land are found in the Golden State. In Northern California, national forests blanket the spine of the Sierra, the crest of the Cascades and much of the far north. Forests most accessible to the Bay Area and Sacramento are listed below.Photo: Janet Fullwoodmore »

Pick a bluebird day and pack plenty of pep for an excursion to Echo Lakes, southern gateway to Desolation Wilderness and one of the most glorious (and dog-friendly) ski and snowshoe destinations in the Sierra. more »